Q2 2018 Concert Calendar
After Q1, I'm at six concerts and nine bands. The first five are summarized here and the sixth here.
With summer coming, there are a lot of good shows coming up. As always, bold below means I'm going. Italics means I'm more than usually interested. Be sure to tell me about shows I missed, or ones within an easy drive of Cleveland.
April
R 4/05 - WRUW Live From Lakewood @ Mahalls. With Joe Jack Talcum of the Dead Milkmen. I'll be working the door most of the night.
S 4/07 - The Crystal Method @ Beachland Ballroom. Seminal electronic music group. I got a staff ticket.
Su 4/08 - The Cleveland Orchestra w/John Williams @ Severance Hall. Performing his film scores, of course. This is why I bought the season pass for the orchestra!
R 4/12 - Buddy Guy @ Rocksino. He's entered BB King "can't sustain it the entire show" territory, but even weaker Buddy Guy is still pretty damn impressive blues guitar.
F 4/13 - The Mountain Goats @ Beachland Ballroom. Another appearance only two years after the last one? Maybe John Darnielle doesn't hate Cleveland anymore! SOLD OUT. I'm going with Rob.
F 4/13 - The Slackers @ Grog Shop. I always welcome the chance to play ska on my show.
S 4/14 - Phoebe Bridgers @ Beachland Tavern. Someone, possibly her publicist, described her as "Gillian Welch meets Elliott Smith". You have to admit, that's a heck of a combo if she can back it up. Apparently everyone else agrees, because it is SOLD OUT.
S 4/14 - Rodney Crowell @ Music Box Concert Hall. Once Johnny Cash's son-in-law.
S 4/14 - Screaming Females @ Grog Shop. One of a host of rock bands that I listened to a bit, liked, and have never picked up again. I need more free time.
F 4/14 - DJ Questlove @ HOB. The Roots frontman does a DJ set for the Rock Hall induction.
Su 4/15 - Acid Mothers Temple @ Grog Shop. Weirdos. Once they did a rock cover of Steven Reich. I like that.
S 4/14 - My Life With Thrill Kill Kult @ Musica.
Su 4/15 - L7 @ Beachland Ballroom. Reunited and putting out anti-Trump singles. SOLD OUT.
T 4/17 - Trey Anastasio @ HOB. Listed to save my coworker Amanda from telling me to add it to the list :-)
R 4/19 - Chris Barron @ Beachland Tavern. Lead Spin Doctor. I'm listing this just because I've always kind of wanted an excuse to play Spin Doctors on the show!
F 4/20 - The Sadies w/Herzog @ Beachland Ballroom. I've seen the Sadies three times (I think), and each time was killer.
F 4/20 - Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio @ Beachland Tavern. Soul/jazz trio.
T 4/21 - The Temptations & the Four Tops @ Rocksino. Motown legends, priced as you'd expect.
M 4/23 and T 4/24 - Indigo Girls @ Music Box Concert Hall. This venue is back on nostalgia acts, which I'm down with. Apparently everyone else is too, as both are SOLD OUT.
T 4/24 - The Decemberists @ Agora Theatre (Grog Shop show) - New album, new tour. I have a ticket!
W 4/25 - Bully @ Musica. New album is good.
R 4/26 - The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band @ Beachland Ballroom. Loud, fun alt.country band. They were the soundtrack to my divorce, which is something, I guess.
S 4/28 - Archie & the Bunkers @ Mahalls. CD Release party. My favorite local band currently.
May
W 5/01 - Alvvays @ Pittsburgh. Naturally, they aren't coming to Cleveland.
F 5/04 - The Hot Club of Cowtown @ Beachland Ballroom. Hot Club jazz plus Austin country equals... something cool? First tour in a few years, I've wanted to see them for coming on two decades now, and naturally I'm out of town that night.
S 5/05 - Dead Kennedys @ Agora Theatre. The East Bay Ray version.
Su 5/06 - Iris Dement @ Music Box Concert Hall. Folk/country/gospel.
T 5/08 - Jason Vieaux and Sasha Cooke @ Plymouth Church. Classical guitar and mezzo-soprano.
F 5/11 - The Cleveland Orchestra @ Severance Hall. Beethoven.
S 5/12 - Tony Bennett @ Rocksino. Listed mostly so I can play the stuff he did with Lady Gaga, which is actually quite good. SOLD OUT, so I don't have to consider spending vast sums of money!
T 5/15 - Fu Manchu @ Grog Shop. Hard rocking. Also, a mustache.
W 5/16 - Squirrel Nut Zippers @ Beachland Ballroom. I'm pretty sure I don't like them enough to spend $30, but if I get a free ticket maybe...
W 5/16 - Mars Williams @ Bop Stop. Former Liquid Soul front man.
5/16 through 5/20 - CityMusic Cleveland @ Various Locations. Beethoven.
R 5/17 - Cleveland Orchestra @ Severance Hall. Beethoven featuring my friend Dashon.
F 5/18 - Justin Townes Earle @ Beachland Ballroom. Named after Townes Van Zandt by his father Steve Earle. Sounds all his own.
F 5/18 - The Melvins @ Grog Shop. They put the weird in weirdo. Or they just like lots of different things and are hard to categorize. You be the judge.
S 5/19 and Su 5/20 - Todd Rundgren @ Rocksino. The Utopia lineup, if that matters to you.
S 5/19 - Wesley Bright & the Honeytones w/Aztec Sun @ Beachland Ballroom. Akron-based soul; opener is DC-based soul.
Su 5/20 - Apocalyptica @ Agora Theatre. They're charging an awful lot of money for what is essentially a Metallica cover band, although I suppose the prices are in line with other string quartets.
T 5/22 - Hall & Oates @ The Q. M loves this idea.
W 5/23 - Slaid Cleaves @ Beachland Ballroom. Austin singer-songwriter. I saw him twice years ago. If you like the "one man and a guitar" formula, you might want to check him out.
T 5/29 - Speedy Ortiz @ Mahalls. I keep hearing our indie rock shows mention this one.
R 5/31 - Cracker @ Music Box Concert Hall. They played CWRU my freshman year, I missed them, haven't managed to see them since.
June
F 6/01 - Hammerfall @ Agora Theatre. Power metal. Only $10 advance tickets.
Su 6/03 - Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats w/The Head and The Heart @ Jacob's Pavilion. I like albums by both bands.
Su 6/03 - Diana Krall @ Akron Civic. Jazz vocalist. Yes please.
W 6/06 - "Purple Rain" @ Rock Hall. Prince is dead, but his movie is immortal.
W 6/06 - Jack White @ Jacob's Pavilion. His solo stuff is really quirky and weird and I like it.
R 6/07 - Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks @ Grog Shop. Was in a little band called Pavement that fadat loves.
F 6/07 - Slayer @ Blossom. Play some Slayer!
F 6/08 - Ledisi @ HOB. R&B.
S 6/09 - The Dickies w/The Queers @ Grog Shop. Somehow, the completely sophomoric punk humor of the Dickies has hit 40 years.
F 6/09 - Jackson Browne @ Rocksino. I keep saying I want to see him, and one day it will be too late.
S 6/16 - The Monkees @ Cain Park. Ok, so it's just Micky Dolenz and Michael Newsmith. 50% is close enough, right?
T 6/19 - Rebirth Brass Band @ Beachland Ballroom. I saw them with someone (Trombone Shorty?) and had a good time. They certainly fit on my show.
W 6/20 - The Posies @ Music Box Concert Hall. Ken Stringfellow produced my friend Phil's album!
R 6/21 - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy @ Cain Park. That's a fun summer show, if you like swing.
Su 6/24 - The Iron Maidens @ Beachland Ballroom. All-lady Iron Maiden cover band. Sweet.
R 6/28 - Nick Lowe w/Los Straitjackets @ Beachland Ballroom. I really dug their Christmas show a few years ago.
6/28 through 6/30 - Tri-C JazzFest @ Various Locations.
F 6/29 - Dr. Lonnie Smith @ PSQ. Part of Tri-C Jazzfest. He was the opener for one of the best shows I've ever seen. Organ based jazz, and his last album was good.
F 6/29 - Dead Boys @ Beachland Ballroom. Cleveland punk pioneers.
July
S 7/07 - The Pretenders @ Rocksino. I already crossed them off my bucket list, but always worth playing.
Su 7/08 - John Butler Trio @ HOB. When I saw him in 2004, I thought of him as a Australian Dave Mathews, which seems unfair and downplays him significantly.
W 7/11 - Weezer w/The Pixies @ Blossom. I mean, not the real Pixies (Kim Deal for live) but still, not bad.
W 7/11 - The Bacon Brothers @ Music Box Concert Hall. In case you've got a serious Kevin Bacon crush. One day I need to do my radio show with nothing but actors who formed bands - it's surprisingly easy to do two hours that way.
F 7/13 - Old Crow Medicine Show @ HOB. Americana old timey music.
S 7/21 - Chuck Prophet & The Mission Express w/Eilen Jewell @ Beachland Ballroom. I've seen both of the co-headliners, and while Eilen Jewell isn't half bad, Chuck Prophet has killed it all three times I saw him.
Su 7/22 - Arlo Guthrie @ Cain Park. Listed mostly since my father might be based nearby by then.
M 7/23 - Fleet Foxes @ Agora Theatre (Grog Shop show) - Indie rock.
T 7/23 - Ween @ Agora Theatre. I'm very sure I don't want to pay what they're asking.
F 7/27 - The O'Jays @ Cain Park. Well, that certainly fits in my format. The Love Train rolls on!
S 7/28 - Morris Day & the Time w/The Ohio Players @ Cain Park. Prince proteges with probably the greatest funk group in Ohio history. In my mind, the bill should be flipped.
August
T 8/07 - David Byrne @ Jacob's Pavilion. His new album sounds pretty good, and I might be willing to overlook the crappy venue.
Su 8/12 - Yo-Yo Ma @ Blossom. Solo, playing the complete Bach solo cello suites.
T 8/14 - Dick Dale @ Grog Shop. One day Dick Dale will die, and you'll be sad you never saw the King of the Surf Guitar hold court.
R 8/16 - Nikki Hill @ Music Box Concert Hall. Roots soul.
F 8/17 - Pedro the Lion @ Grog Shop. Reunion tour.
F 8/17 - The Flaming Lips @ Agora Theatre. I don't like them enough to spend that much. Makes Ween look cheap, but if you like them this is more intimate show than Blossom would be.
R 8/23 - Mighty Mighty Bosstones @ HOB. 3rd wave ska! When I saw them, I thought they were pretty good, but that might just have been the impression that I got.
Su 8/26 - Counting Crows @ Blossom. My high school self is really excited by this show.
Beyond
T 9/11 - Allison Krauss @ Akron Civic. Bluegrass.
F 9/14 - Keb' Mo' @ Kent Stage. Blues, mostly Delta style.
Su 9/16 - Ozzy @ Blossom. Bucket list show, although I'd rather see him front Sabbath.
F 9/21 - Ringo Starr @ Rocksino. You can't see the Beatles. You can see Ringo. Life isn't fair sometimes.
Su 9/23 - MC5 @ HOB. The 50th anniversary tour. That just seems wrong, but let's Kick Out the Motherfucking Jams anyway.
S 10/13 - Thee Oh Sees @ Beachland Ballroom (billed as Oh Sees). Recommended if you like it loud and fast.
11/03 - Elton John @ The Q. Not going to lie, I'm considering this.
2/1/19 - Metallica @ The Q. I've never actually seen them, although at this point they're mostly a bucket list band.
Here's the venue list in no particular order:
Beachland Ballroom & Tavern
Grog Shop
Wolstein Center
HOB
Kent Stage
Agora Theater & Ballroom
Quicken Loans Arena
Night Town
Playhouse Square
Rock Hall
Cain Park
Blossom
Jacob's Pavilion (Nautica)
Lakewood Civic Auditorium
Severance Hall
E.J. Thomas Hall (Akron)
Akron Civic
CityMusic Cleveland
Now That's Class
Happy Dog
Euclid Tavern (aka, Happy Dog East)
Mahall's 20 Lanes
Tri-C Jazzfest
Oberlin College
Cleveland Museum of Art
Hard Rock Live
The Music Box
The Odeon
The Bop Stop
Cleveland Chamber Music
Cleveland Classical Guitar Society
Apollo's Fire
Links for the Happy Dog and Euclid Tavern were updated.
With summer coming, there are a lot of good shows coming up. As always, bold below means I'm going. Italics means I'm more than usually interested. Be sure to tell me about shows I missed, or ones within an easy drive of Cleveland.
April
R 4/05 - WRUW Live From Lakewood @ Mahalls. With Joe Jack Talcum of the Dead Milkmen. I'll be working the door most of the night.
S 4/07 - The Crystal Method @ Beachland Ballroom. Seminal electronic music group. I got a staff ticket.
Su 4/08 - The Cleveland Orchestra w/John Williams @ Severance Hall. Performing his film scores, of course. This is why I bought the season pass for the orchestra!
R 4/12 - Buddy Guy @ Rocksino. He's entered BB King "can't sustain it the entire show" territory, but even weaker Buddy Guy is still pretty damn impressive blues guitar.
F 4/13 - The Mountain Goats @ Beachland Ballroom. Another appearance only two years after the last one? Maybe John Darnielle doesn't hate Cleveland anymore! SOLD OUT. I'm going with Rob.
F 4/13 - The Slackers @ Grog Shop. I always welcome the chance to play ska on my show.
S 4/14 - Phoebe Bridgers @ Beachland Tavern. Someone, possibly her publicist, described her as "Gillian Welch meets Elliott Smith". You have to admit, that's a heck of a combo if she can back it up. Apparently everyone else agrees, because it is SOLD OUT.
S 4/14 - Rodney Crowell @ Music Box Concert Hall. Once Johnny Cash's son-in-law.
S 4/14 - Screaming Females @ Grog Shop. One of a host of rock bands that I listened to a bit, liked, and have never picked up again. I need more free time.
F 4/14 - DJ Questlove @ HOB. The Roots frontman does a DJ set for the Rock Hall induction.
Su 4/15 - Acid Mothers Temple @ Grog Shop. Weirdos. Once they did a rock cover of Steven Reich. I like that.
S 4/14 - My Life With Thrill Kill Kult @ Musica.
Su 4/15 - L7 @ Beachland Ballroom. Reunited and putting out anti-Trump singles. SOLD OUT.
T 4/17 - Trey Anastasio @ HOB. Listed to save my coworker Amanda from telling me to add it to the list :-)
R 4/19 - Chris Barron @ Beachland Tavern. Lead Spin Doctor. I'm listing this just because I've always kind of wanted an excuse to play Spin Doctors on the show!
F 4/20 - The Sadies w/Herzog @ Beachland Ballroom. I've seen the Sadies three times (I think), and each time was killer.
F 4/20 - Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio @ Beachland Tavern. Soul/jazz trio.
T 4/21 - The Temptations & the Four Tops @ Rocksino. Motown legends, priced as you'd expect.
M 4/23 and T 4/24 - Indigo Girls @ Music Box Concert Hall. This venue is back on nostalgia acts, which I'm down with. Apparently everyone else is too, as both are SOLD OUT.
T 4/24 - The Decemberists @ Agora Theatre (Grog Shop show) - New album, new tour. I have a ticket!
W 4/25 - Bully @ Musica. New album is good.
R 4/26 - The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band @ Beachland Ballroom. Loud, fun alt.country band. They were the soundtrack to my divorce, which is something, I guess.
S 4/28 - Archie & the Bunkers @ Mahalls. CD Release party. My favorite local band currently.
May
W 5/01 - Alvvays @ Pittsburgh. Naturally, they aren't coming to Cleveland.
F 5/04 - The Hot Club of Cowtown @ Beachland Ballroom. Hot Club jazz plus Austin country equals... something cool? First tour in a few years, I've wanted to see them for coming on two decades now, and naturally I'm out of town that night.
S 5/05 - Dead Kennedys @ Agora Theatre. The East Bay Ray version.
Su 5/06 - Iris Dement @ Music Box Concert Hall. Folk/country/gospel.
T 5/08 - Jason Vieaux and Sasha Cooke @ Plymouth Church. Classical guitar and mezzo-soprano.
F 5/11 - The Cleveland Orchestra @ Severance Hall. Beethoven.
S 5/12 - Tony Bennett @ Rocksino. Listed mostly so I can play the stuff he did with Lady Gaga, which is actually quite good. SOLD OUT, so I don't have to consider spending vast sums of money!
T 5/15 - Fu Manchu @ Grog Shop. Hard rocking. Also, a mustache.
W 5/16 - Squirrel Nut Zippers @ Beachland Ballroom. I'm pretty sure I don't like them enough to spend $30, but if I get a free ticket maybe...
W 5/16 - Mars Williams @ Bop Stop. Former Liquid Soul front man.
5/16 through 5/20 - CityMusic Cleveland @ Various Locations. Beethoven.
R 5/17 - Cleveland Orchestra @ Severance Hall. Beethoven featuring my friend Dashon.
F 5/18 - Justin Townes Earle @ Beachland Ballroom. Named after Townes Van Zandt by his father Steve Earle. Sounds all his own.
F 5/18 - The Melvins @ Grog Shop. They put the weird in weirdo. Or they just like lots of different things and are hard to categorize. You be the judge.
S 5/19 and Su 5/20 - Todd Rundgren @ Rocksino. The Utopia lineup, if that matters to you.
S 5/19 - Wesley Bright & the Honeytones w/Aztec Sun @ Beachland Ballroom. Akron-based soul; opener is DC-based soul.
Su 5/20 - Apocalyptica @ Agora Theatre. They're charging an awful lot of money for what is essentially a Metallica cover band, although I suppose the prices are in line with other string quartets.
T 5/22 - Hall & Oates @ The Q. M loves this idea.
W 5/23 - Slaid Cleaves @ Beachland Ballroom. Austin singer-songwriter. I saw him twice years ago. If you like the "one man and a guitar" formula, you might want to check him out.
T 5/29 - Speedy Ortiz @ Mahalls. I keep hearing our indie rock shows mention this one.
R 5/31 - Cracker @ Music Box Concert Hall. They played CWRU my freshman year, I missed them, haven't managed to see them since.
June
F 6/01 - Hammerfall @ Agora Theatre. Power metal. Only $10 advance tickets.
Su 6/03 - Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats w/The Head and The Heart @ Jacob's Pavilion. I like albums by both bands.
Su 6/03 - Diana Krall @ Akron Civic. Jazz vocalist. Yes please.
W 6/06 - "Purple Rain" @ Rock Hall. Prince is dead, but his movie is immortal.
W 6/06 - Jack White @ Jacob's Pavilion. His solo stuff is really quirky and weird and I like it.
R 6/07 - Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks @ Grog Shop. Was in a little band called Pavement that fadat loves.
F 6/07 - Slayer @ Blossom. Play some Slayer!
F 6/08 - Ledisi @ HOB. R&B.
S 6/09 - The Dickies w/The Queers @ Grog Shop. Somehow, the completely sophomoric punk humor of the Dickies has hit 40 years.
F 6/09 - Jackson Browne @ Rocksino. I keep saying I want to see him, and one day it will be too late.
S 6/16 - The Monkees @ Cain Park. Ok, so it's just Micky Dolenz and Michael Newsmith. 50% is close enough, right?
T 6/19 - Rebirth Brass Band @ Beachland Ballroom. I saw them with someone (Trombone Shorty?) and had a good time. They certainly fit on my show.
W 6/20 - The Posies @ Music Box Concert Hall. Ken Stringfellow produced my friend Phil's album!
R 6/21 - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy @ Cain Park. That's a fun summer show, if you like swing.
Su 6/24 - The Iron Maidens @ Beachland Ballroom. All-lady Iron Maiden cover band. Sweet.
R 6/28 - Nick Lowe w/Los Straitjackets @ Beachland Ballroom. I really dug their Christmas show a few years ago.
6/28 through 6/30 - Tri-C JazzFest @ Various Locations.
F 6/29 - Dr. Lonnie Smith @ PSQ. Part of Tri-C Jazzfest. He was the opener for one of the best shows I've ever seen. Organ based jazz, and his last album was good.
F 6/29 - Dead Boys @ Beachland Ballroom. Cleveland punk pioneers.
July
S 7/07 - The Pretenders @ Rocksino. I already crossed them off my bucket list, but always worth playing.
Su 7/08 - John Butler Trio @ HOB. When I saw him in 2004, I thought of him as a Australian Dave Mathews, which seems unfair and downplays him significantly.
W 7/11 - Weezer w/The Pixies @ Blossom. I mean, not the real Pixies (Kim Deal for live) but still, not bad.
W 7/11 - The Bacon Brothers @ Music Box Concert Hall. In case you've got a serious Kevin Bacon crush. One day I need to do my radio show with nothing but actors who formed bands - it's surprisingly easy to do two hours that way.
F 7/13 - Old Crow Medicine Show @ HOB. Americana old timey music.
S 7/21 - Chuck Prophet & The Mission Express w/Eilen Jewell @ Beachland Ballroom. I've seen both of the co-headliners, and while Eilen Jewell isn't half bad, Chuck Prophet has killed it all three times I saw him.
Su 7/22 - Arlo Guthrie @ Cain Park. Listed mostly since my father might be based nearby by then.
M 7/23 - Fleet Foxes @ Agora Theatre (Grog Shop show) - Indie rock.
T 7/23 - Ween @ Agora Theatre. I'm very sure I don't want to pay what they're asking.
F 7/27 - The O'Jays @ Cain Park. Well, that certainly fits in my format. The Love Train rolls on!
S 7/28 - Morris Day & the Time w/The Ohio Players @ Cain Park. Prince proteges with probably the greatest funk group in Ohio history. In my mind, the bill should be flipped.
August
T 8/07 - David Byrne @ Jacob's Pavilion. His new album sounds pretty good, and I might be willing to overlook the crappy venue.
Su 8/12 - Yo-Yo Ma @ Blossom. Solo, playing the complete Bach solo cello suites.
T 8/14 - Dick Dale @ Grog Shop. One day Dick Dale will die, and you'll be sad you never saw the King of the Surf Guitar hold court.
R 8/16 - Nikki Hill @ Music Box Concert Hall. Roots soul.
F 8/17 - Pedro the Lion @ Grog Shop. Reunion tour.
F 8/17 - The Flaming Lips @ Agora Theatre. I don't like them enough to spend that much. Makes Ween look cheap, but if you like them this is more intimate show than Blossom would be.
R 8/23 - Mighty Mighty Bosstones @ HOB. 3rd wave ska! When I saw them, I thought they were pretty good, but that might just have been the impression that I got.
Su 8/26 - Counting Crows @ Blossom. My high school self is really excited by this show.
Beyond
T 9/11 - Allison Krauss @ Akron Civic. Bluegrass.
F 9/14 - Keb' Mo' @ Kent Stage. Blues, mostly Delta style.
Su 9/16 - Ozzy @ Blossom. Bucket list show, although I'd rather see him front Sabbath.
F 9/21 - Ringo Starr @ Rocksino. You can't see the Beatles. You can see Ringo. Life isn't fair sometimes.
Su 9/23 - MC5 @ HOB. The 50th anniversary tour. That just seems wrong, but let's Kick Out the Motherfucking Jams anyway.
S 10/13 - Thee Oh Sees @ Beachland Ballroom (billed as Oh Sees). Recommended if you like it loud and fast.
11/03 - Elton John @ The Q. Not going to lie, I'm considering this.
2/1/19 - Metallica @ The Q. I've never actually seen them, although at this point they're mostly a bucket list band.
Here's the venue list in no particular order:
Beachland Ballroom & Tavern
Grog Shop
Wolstein Center
HOB
Kent Stage
Agora Theater & Ballroom
Quicken Loans Arena
Night Town
Playhouse Square
Rock Hall
Cain Park
Blossom
Jacob's Pavilion (Nautica)
Lakewood Civic Auditorium
Severance Hall
E.J. Thomas Hall (Akron)
Akron Civic
CityMusic Cleveland
Now That's Class
Happy Dog
Euclid Tavern (aka, Happy Dog East)
Mahall's 20 Lanes
Tri-C Jazzfest
Oberlin College
Cleveland Museum of Art
Hard Rock Live
The Music Box
The Odeon
The Bop Stop
Cleveland Chamber Music
Cleveland Classical Guitar Society
Apollo's Fire
Links for the Happy Dog and Euclid Tavern were updated.